Man pleads guilty but mentally ill to terrorism, murder in 2022 Strip stabbings

Katelyn Newberg, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Jan 30, 2025

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LAS VEGAS — A man pleaded guilty but mentally ill Thursday to a series of stabbings on the Strip in 2022 that left two people dead and six other injured.

Yoni Barrios, 34, agreed not to fight the state’s charges, which included terrorism and murder counts, in exchange for prosecutors no longer pursuing the death penalty against him, according to his defense attorney, Scott Coffee.

He also agreed to a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Barrios pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of terrorism, two counts of murder, six counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to commit an act of terrorism and six counts of battery with a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm with the intent to commit an act of terrorism.

“The plea recognizes what everybody in the system knew — that this was the result of mental illness that caused paranoia,” Coffee said following a court hearing on Thursday.

Coffee said that by pleading guilty but mentally ill, Barrios will be entitled to mental health treatment while in prison.

Barrios admitted to attacking multiple people, including several women posing as showgirls — killing 30-year-old showgirl impersonator Maris DiGiovanni, of Las Vegas, and 47-year-old Brent Hallett, of Alberta, Canada.

According to an arrest report, Barrios told police that he thought the two showgirls were laughing at him and that he began attacking people because he wanted to “let the anger” out. Witnesses told police that Barrios was holding a large knife when he approached the showgirls asking for a photo, and that he said he was a chef. Showgirls who witnessed the attacks have previously disputed that anyone was laughing at Barrios, and said he was not provoked.

Coffee said that his client was “delusional” at the time of the attacks.

A sentencing hearing for Barrios is scheduled for March 14.

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